To Change Fate is Suicidal
by I am a true warrior
Summary: River is a daughter of Ares. Nico finds her one day by accident and forces her to camp. Once she's there, even her own cabin hates her. When she is offered a quest, she takes it, bringing along the only person who seems to care- a certain son of Hades. As their friendship grows so does the danger they encounter. Too bad for them, fate isn't always kind to people.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, this is my second story, my first Percy Jackson fanfiction. Not much left to say, except enjoy!**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Grace does not own the Percy Jackson series or people thereof.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Things in life happen for a reason. Everything does—no exceptions. Some good, some bad. The only way to stop that cycle is to mess with fate. And if you know anything, you know not to screw around with fate. That's why I'm not going to cry endlessly over the dead. Morn? Yes. Act helpless? No.

It all began a while ago. I was a normal girl going to normal school, and had normal friends. But my home life was not all that great. It was okay, but not perfect. I had a single mom, and a little sister. We lived in New York, trying to make ends meet. It was tough on my mom, because she could never keep a job longer than a few months, because her short temper usually got her into hot water with her many-a bosses. She usually ended up working third shift, so I was the one who cleaned and took care of the house, made sure Kristy did her homework and had food to eat. So, I guess you could say, I was my sister's second mother, rather than her sister.

That's why I was late that day. It was a Monday; I was running late for school, because I had to take a shower, find my black leather jacket that was lost in my mess of a room, find my skinny jeans, and boots, then tie my hair back into a ponytail, leaving it to dry on its own. Then I had to help Kristy get dressed, make her a breakfast, scarf food down my throat and get her to a bus stop. I had to ride my skateboard to school that day—faster than walking, but slower than a car.

I was about three blocks away from my school when this kid came out of nowhere, hitting me smack in the face.

"Ow," I hissed. "Watch where you're going, idiot!"

The boy looked at me with worry. He had olive green eyes, with long black hair, bangs covering his left eye. He wore an aviator's jacket, baggy jeans, and a silver skull ring.

"What?" I asked, getting even more ticked off by his looks of worry.

"You're a… Wow," he said, stupidly. Then I noticed he wasn't looking at me, so much a _above_ me. I looked up to, but only saw a mist red vapor disappear.

"I'm a what?"

"Daughter of Ares," he said. "What's your name?"

I got to my feet. "River. You?"

"Nico. Come here, I think I can help you with some… things."

I didn't trust him. Who would? He sounded crazy, so I simply scoffed and rode on to school. _The number of psychos in this place is amazing,_ I thought, as I got to my locker in the safety of my school

**Sucky first chapter, I know. But it will get better as the story goes along. Thanks for reading! ~Much Love**


	2. Chapter 2

**I want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorite, and is following my story! This chapter is for you! ~Much love**

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When I got to school, I was late for my first period. As if that weren't bad enough, my teacher stopped his lesson, everyone stared at me, and—I saw my creeper. In my seat.

_What the what?_ I thought. _No way is he sitting in my seat._ I looked back at him and he was smirking. Then he leaned over to another kid—Percy Jackson—and whispered something to him.

_Probably about you,_ I sneered to myself. Why was life so challenging sometimes?

I would have gone on to think about that, but Mr. Boring—yes, that is his real name—cut my train of thought off.

"Ms. Sakngno…? Please go to the desk beside your old one. Our new student—Nico di Angelo—will be sitting there from now on."

A light shower of giggles spread through the classroom, when he mispronounced my last name. It was Greek for fighter. My mom told me I might have been born in America, but she and my dad were Greek, leaving me to deal with a strange last name.

I moved to the back of the class, next to the window. At least that was one good thing—I was near a window. _I could daydream easily here_, I said to myself, trying to stay positive.

Once Mr. Boring started to teach again, I saw a note on my desk.

_Hey, why so late? Is everything okay?—Percy_

**Don't kill me! Percy wanted me to pass the note!—Nico **

I rolled my eyes, taking out my "magic" blood red sparkly gel pen. I couldn't just lie to Percy. We weren't friends, but I am in his debt. He saved me from getting my butt kicked more than once, so I kinda owned him the truth—but if he did know the truth and the truth got out, social workers would take my mom away from Kristy and me.

_**Percy, thanks for the concern, but please leave this up to me. It's my battle—not yours. Nico, get a life. I'm not **__**that**__** mean.—River**_

I passed the note to Nico, who opened it, glaring at the comment I left him, and passed it on to Percy. He didn't reply back, so I thought he'd dropped the subject, but then I got a new note from him.

_Hey, next class I have math. What do you have?—Percy_

**He really just wants you to skip class with us. It's fine if you don't want to go though—by all means, stay here if you want. –Nico**

_**No, I think I'll go. I have gym. I hate gym. *smirk*- River.**_ Ha ha, I thought. Before adding, _**I don't like you, Nico.**_

I passed the note along. Nico looked at it and stuck his tongue out at me like a three year old. _Big baby._

Percy wrote another note, _Okay, meet us by the football field ten minutes after class begins. _I didn't see any reason to reply, so I spent the rest of the class, simply daydreaming, looking out the window.

Our football field is not a place anyone would want to go to. It was too small, had ugly brown grass, and was always hot for some reason. Every teacher knew no student would optionally go there, unless they were cutting class. That's why I was careful to not get caught by the teachers on patrol. However, Nico wasn't. He saw me in the hallway and tagged along with me. He was so loud, I could have shot a gun and there would have gotten less attention than he did. He _looked_ like a "bad boy", but he was really just a kid.

Anyway, Mrs. Smith caught us. We sat in the office for what felt like _hours_, before I decided if I was already a bad kid, leaving wouldn't be too outrageous. I showed Nico how to get out of the office in a casual way, without needing to sneak around. Thankfully, he listened, making my life easier.

When we got to the field, Percy was waiting there. "Where were you two?"

I scowled. "The idiot has no stealth whatsoever," I explained bluntly. That's my flaw, I've noticed—I'm blunt, even when it sounds really mean.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Be nice to him, Riv. But c'mon, let's go to McDonald's."

Nico smiled, eager to leave, and this time, it was understandable. I _loved_ that place more than I did the mall, the gym, and my room all put together. McDonald's was my home away from home.

When we got there, I ordered a milkshake and fries, while Percy got a big mac, and Nico got two happy meals.

"Really?" I asked him, once we sat down. "Why get two happy meals, when you could get something more… I don't know… less childish, I guess?"

I was actually really curious. Not many fourteen year olds play with Happy Meals.

"I don't eat a lot, so I only need one. The other is for my sister. I'll give it to her tonight, when I see her," he explained. _At least he looks out for his family,_ I thought.

"_If_ you see her," Percy corrected. "See, Bianca wants him to live his life and to stop worrying about her, because she wants him to make more friends."

"Is she older than you?"

Nico nodded. "By one year, two months, eight hours, and about forty-seven seconds."

Percy leaned closer to my ear. "He doesn't see her very often, but she's the only family he has left, so he's very attached to her."

_Oh,_ I thought, realizing why Nico was so exact. _Well, at least he's not half as weird as you thought… But still pretty screwed in the head…_

"So…" Percy said out loud, after we'd finished off our food. "Riv, you want to go to this one place with us?"

I looked at him, like he was stupid. "What 'one place'? There are _many_ 'one places' in this world, y'know."

"It's this year-round camp thing. It's only for people who are… Well, I can't really explain it, but you'd fit right in. Nico and I go there all the time. And… Well, you can…"

I think it was my confused expression that made Percy uncomfortable, so I simply agreed, willing to check it out for he's sake.

"So what's this magical camp called," I asked as I hailed a taxi.

"Camp Half-Blood," Percy answered.

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**And I leave you with that. Review if you like it, hate it, whatever it! ;) Also, constructive criticism is appreciated. ~Much love**


	3. Chapter 3

On the way to this camp place, Nico and I played with these cards called Mythomagic. Apparently, Percy bought him these, when Nico threw his old ones in a fire, when he was really mad. Nico won. Every single time. Normally I would have been ready to punch anyone who was better than me, but Nico had a hard life from what I could tell. He didn't say that, but I knew it was true. He had an aura about him that screamed, "I had a hard life, please don't bring it up," so I didn't.

We reached this strawberry patch thing, and across that, I saw the camp. I have to say, for a girl who was hard to impress, I was stunned by camp. There were kids with swords fighting, archery, and cabins. If I liked it this much without even being inside the camp, I knew I would love it once I was.

"Ah, kids?" The taxi driver asked. "You sure you want off here? There's nothing out there."

_Uh, yes there is,_ I thought. _Can't you see it?_ I was about to point that out, but Percy beat me to it.

"It's fine. Here is perfect." He paid the driver who just shrugged and drove off, when we were out.

I looked to Nico. "So, stupid, explain to me—where am I?"

"Why don't you ask Percy? You seem to like him better," He replied, childishly. I would have smacked him, but the playful look in his eye was a lot like the one I saw in Kristy's eyes. I let it go.

"Okay, _children_," Percy said. "Let's keep the peace, here. C'mon, Riv. You've got to meet a friend of mine."

"Who?" I was never really good at meeting people, just beating them up.

"Her name is Clarisse. She's a born fighter, like you."

I was still a little hesitant, but Nico and Percy took my hands, running up the hill to the camp.

There are not many times in my life I've ever been right about something, but what I said about camp being really cool, was. It had huge, thick, trees, perfect for scouting, the ocean—which looked really pretty in the early morning sun, and so much that I couldn't even take in. It was like Heaven on Earth.

When we reached the base, there was—and I am not lying about this—a centaur _teaching_ kids. Not only that, but there were donkey people, people using magic, making strawberries and grapes grow, and a huge black dog— three times bigger than any big dog I've ever seen—chasing kids, who were _laughing_.

"Whoa, whoa," I stumbled back. "I don't want to be here anymore. Take me back to school!"

Percy and Nico locked eyes, making a silent agreement. Percy left, giving me a hug, saying, "Welcome to the family," before leaving. I pushed him off, naturally. I can put up with Percy's stupidity at times, but Percy hugging me was _not_ allowed. I hated hugs.

"Um… Okay. How do I explain this?" Nico wondered, totally confused.

"Bluntly. Just say it in simplest terms, not caring about my feelings. It gets the message across the fastest," I answered.

He shrugged. "Okay. You are the daughter of the Greek god, Ares, god of war."

I blinked twice. "Okay maybe a bit more information would be helpful."

He laughed. Don't believe me, do you? Well, c'mon. I'll take you to see this orientation film. That should help."

We walked to this amphitheater and Nico bought me chocolate to eat while I watched.

"Thanks," I said, not used to the kind gesture. It was strange. This morning, I hated the guy, now it was like we were almost… friends. _I've never had a real friend…_

After the movie, I realized how much of my life made sense. I was so shaken up about it, Nico thought I was going to be sick.

"Are you alright?" He asked, feeling my forehead.

"No," I said. "But I really just want some fresh air." Nico smiled in a knowing way. He took me down to the beach, where we walked along the shoreline.

"So it's a bit shocking… isn't it?" He asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah. Like when I was three, I remember a man coming to my house, telling my mom I had to come here when I was older. I didn't even remember that until today. And then when I was seven, on my birthday, the man came back, giving me my first knife, saying to make sure I never used it unless I was in trouble and that my mom never saw it. Then I got into fights with these things… I think they were monsters. I told everyone I could about them, but ended up in consoling. That man… Was that my dad?"

Nico shrugged. "Maybe. Ares breaks a lot of rules, but the rule is to never interfere with a demigod's direct fate."

"And I was claimed by my dad today? That was that red misty stuff above my head?"

"Yeah," he replied. In the distance, a sound rang clear and loud. "Time for dinner, Riv. Welcome to camp."

I smiled ever so slightly. "Thank you… And Nico? Please don't tell anyone about that. It's kind of a secret..."

He nodded. "You got it, but y'know, you think your alone, but the truth is, most of us here are the same. Just something to think about."

I turned to go find my cabin and join them to eat, think about what Nico told me. _We are the same…_

**So there is the new chapter. River seems a bit spacey right now, but as she stays at camp longer, she trusts more people and starts to open up a bit more. So look forword to that! Thanks for all the reviews, PMs, and favorites!**

**~Much love**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heeyyyy! SO I had a really good plot idea and didn't want to forget it, so here is the new chapter! Enjoy! ~Much Love**

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I wish I could say that my half-siblings were really cool, but the truth is, they weren't. First, the centaur Chiron, embarrassed me by pointing me out to the entire camp and told them to be nice to me. I appreciated his effort, but it really just made me look weak. Then, one of my brother called me out, because I didn't leave an offering for the gods, then I tripped on my way to give the offering (I hope they liked grapes…) and prayed to Tyche, goddess of luck to help me out here. Sadly, she didn't, because after we ate, the cabin leader, Clarisse, pulled my hair, leading me to the girls' bathroom, dunking my head into the toilet.

"Yeah," she snarled to her friends who came to watch. "Like _she's_ my sister. No way would Dad ever fall in love with a mortal like her mo—"

That was when I snapped. I dealt with Nico all day, because he wasn't a rude jerk and he reminded me of Kristy. I dealt with Percy because I owed him. I dealt with Chiron embarrassing me, because he was doing it out of a kind heart. My coming to camp was brushed under the rug, because I needed to be safe. But no one, _no one_ screwed with me the way Clarisse did. Humiliation. I had enough of that growing up. And—no one insulted my mother and left without a scar. She was an angel, no matter what people _thought_ of her.

I was about to be dunked again, so I timed it perfectly—I popped my leg out and knocked her feet, making her fall. She fell into the toilet herself, because when she let go of me when she fell, I got out of the way.

_Thank you, YouTube for all the videos about fighting,_ I thought. _Oh, and thank you Tyche for letting me win this fight, when I wouldn't have survived without your help._

And I really was lucky, because Clarisse's friends backed off of me too. I ran out of the bathroom before any of them could try to hit me back. But sure enough, they followed, so I ran into the closest cabin there was—a black cabin with slivery lining.

"River?"

I turned around to see Nico was laying upside down on his bed, looking at me. I blushed slightly.

"Um… Hi, Nico..." I looked around the cabin. "Why aren't you at the sing-along thing?"

He flipped over on his stomach. "I could ask you the same thing… Why are you all wet?"

I sighed. "Clarisse dunked my head in the toilet, I fought back, they want to kill me, I want to hide. That's why."

Nico nodded. "Yeah, I remember when she did that to me. Gross. I'm in my cabin, 'cause I'm still an outcast. I helped out in the Titan War, I was accepted, but Percy is still my only friend. And he's with Annabeth, his girlfriend, most of the time, anyway, so… Yeah. I stay here most nights."

I sat on the edge of his bed, feeling bad for him. "That sucks. I know how you feel. All my life, I've been the outcast."

Nico looked at me like I was crazy. "No way. I think there is more to you than you let on. You must have had _some_ friends."

I shook my head. "No. In kindergarten, I wasn't liked because the only time I played with Barbies they ended up with legs or arms broken off. In first and second grade, my ADHD was worse, and I spaced out a lot, making me look like a freak. In third grade, people remembered me from the years before and stayed away, and in the fourth grade, I didn't have a crush on anybody, so I was even more weird. By that time, I was bullied and teased a lot, and I coped with it, thinking that they were stupid, because I knew that if they got to know the real me, they'd think I was really cool. Ever sense then, I've gotten into trouble, got into fights, and my mom drank more alcohol than usual. She got a D.U.Y and—why am I even telling you this stuff?" I asked suddenly.

I was ashamed of myself. I couldn't ruin another potential friendship if I kept complaining and opened up to a really bad past.

I told Nico that when he asked me what was wrong and he replied back in a harsh, but caring tone, "Don't say that. You had a hard life, harder than mine—and that's pretty deep—you have every reason to hate the world, but don't. My… My fatal flaw is holding grudges. I can hold a grudge for a really long time and not think twice about killing you while I'm mad, but what I didn't know was how bitter and harsh you get when you're like that."

I would have said, "You are a lot more mature than I thought you were," but couldn't because it was at the moment Chiron decided to pay us a surprise visit. I saw the look on Nico face and it read: _Busted._

And I remembered one of the rules: A boy and a girl can't be in the same cabin alone together.

_Oh shit…_ I thought. _More trouble… _

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**And I shall stop there. :D Sorry if River's story seems a bit "Mary-Sue", but trust me, that stuff happens to more children than you think. :C Anyway, She will go through more character development so she doesn't seem like a Mary-Sue.**

**~Much Love**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello and happy New Year! Here is the new chapter. I hope everyone is happy and healthy yesterday (this morning?) and have a wonderful day! : )**

**~Much love**

The punishment was hard. Chiron made us clean out the old attic in the Big House. See? Not half as bad as the Stoll brothers on stable cleaning duty, that's for sure.

In the back, I was cleaning and dusting cobwebs, when I saw a pretty ball. It looked like one of those children magic 8 balls with an extra shiny paint on it.

"What's this?" I asked Nico, who was only a few feet away. He came over and looked at the ball.

"Oh, that's what the original Oracle of Delphi used to help answer questions and whatnot. You hold it, ask it a question, and it tells you. But they stopped using it, when they found out that anyone could ask a question. It looked bad for the oracle, so they stashed it here. I'm not entirely sure about the details…"

"Like a magic 8 ball," I confirmed. Nico nodded in agreement. I began to tap at the magical ball. "So… It answers all questions… Like… How can I find true happiness?"

That was when I felt a sharp pain go through my head, down to my heart, leaving a horrible dry, hot pain in its path. Then I heard a raspy voice; _Happiness is not to be found, if the heart is not sound. Do not rush all judgment, when you go, you will know._

I groaned. _My head,_ I thought.

"River!" Nico cried, catching me as I fell. _When did I lose balance? _I wondered. "Oh g—are you okay?"

He called out for help, trying to force a golden liquid in my mouth. At first, I didn't want to take it, but once he got it into my system, I couldn't get enough. It tasted like my sixth birthday cake. I remember the taste, because it was the first thing my mom made without burning it. I kept trying to get more, but Nico held it away from me and I was such a limp noodle, I couldn't get it if I tried.

Then a few Apollo kids came in and took me to see Chiron. They didn't want to have to deal with me.

"Well," Chiron sighed. "It was not wise to touch something you or Mr. di Angelo have no knowledge about, but the prophecy was clear in the first few lines—you cannot do the quest until you are sound at heart. You are not there just yet, m'dear. Maybe someday soon. Are you feeling okay?"

I shook my head. "No… My head. It hurts…"

Chiron nodded. "I expected as much. Mr. di Angelo? Please take River make to her cabin to rest, then go about your normal activities."

He did as he was told, taking me back to my room. I was thankful all my brothers and sisters were at sword practice.

I got into my head, feeling a warm sensation from moving too fast. "Ugh, I feel like crap," I told Nico.

He raised a eyebrow. "Considering what you've been through, I'd say you have the right…"

"What's wrong?" I asked, noticing his voice change slightly.

"You're going to go… Aren't you? On the quest, I mean."

Busted.

I sighed. "Yeah. I was going to, but I'm not sure… How did you know?"

He shrugged. "Because if it were me, I'd still go… And because I want to go with you on your quest."

I smiled. "Okay. You can come too. But… Why?"

He took my hand in his own. "In a way, you remind me of Bianca. She was fierce and forceful when she had to be. She took charge and didn't back down. She wasn't afraid to do what was right. I wanted to… be with you to connect with her _and_ connect with you. I'm not even sure if that makes sense…"

"I think I understand. But… Am I sound of heart? I mean, at first I wanted to go because I wanted the happiness part, but now I still want to, even though there might be monsters, death… problems. Is that sound?"

"I think it is. I mean, you know the risks, so you're not arrogant… Or is the word I'm looking for ignorant?"

"Both would work in this case," I smiled weakly. "But… We can decide later. I'm tried…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Boo! That was me, complaining about school being back in session. However, I don't have a lot of homework, most days, so I will [hopefully] update my stories just as regularly [every weekend or so]. Anyhow… Enjoy! The unicorns enjoyed it, so you should too.**

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I wish I could say I woke up late for dinner, forced to go hungry, but I didn't, sadly, because the alternative was worse. My "sister" (at least… I think it was a girl. I couldn't tell because a mix of sleepiness and general ugliness clouded my judgment) poured cold water all over my body, soaking me completely.

"Get up, Lake!" She yelled, ripping the wet sheets away from me. "It's dinner time!"

I growled. "It's River! But it'd take a three year old to remember a name, and your no Athena's child, so I guess I should apologize for not realizing you full stupidity level sooner."

I'm not sure why, but the girl actually backed off. And I was glad, because to be honest, I'm not a war-crazy lunatic, like my siblings. I thing that fighting for a cause is okay, but to do it without reason, is stupid. And I really did not want to leave my sister with a bitter memory of her younger sister kicking her butt.

My plan was to leave tonight with Nico for our quest. After all, I've spilt a few heavy secrets to him, so I suppose we are friends. I wasn't doing this quest to make me look better, stronger, or tougher to anyone. I was doing it, because I really didn't know what happiness was. And I really wanted it. That, I think, is sound. I think monsters will come for us—no doubt about that. But Nico and I were strong. We could defend ourselves and each other.

Plus, how could I deny Nico and his reasons. Bianca? Where ever she is, she was important to him. And I wasn't going to disappoint. _When did I care so much about someone else's feelings?_ I wondered.

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=D =D =D =D =D

**Who agrees that these evil bunny warlords are cute?- Kelly **

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When I made my sacrifice to the gods, I prayed to my dad, Nico's dad, Athena, and Tyche. I would need my dad's strength—_I'll need it, Daddy. P.S. I love you_, Hades's blessing—_out of all the monsters in the Underworld, please keep the hardest ones at bay and not attack me or your only son, thank you_, Athena's wisdom—_Please help me make good choices and not ruin everything that I have… And help me in battle when I need it. Please?_ And yes, I needed all the luck Tyche had to offer me.

After I ate, Nico and I went to the sing-along at the fire, singing along happily. After all, if there was one thing the Hermes cabin taught me in canoeing, always keep up appearances when you know you'll get into trouble for doing something you know you shouldn't be doing anyway. Besides, why did we need to worry? We had a plan—a really good plan too.

I couldn't help but notice as we sung, Nico seemed younger. Less mature. More of a little kid. He looked at me with that same goofy grin Kristy had. "What?" He asked, barely being heard over the volume of all the campers' singing.

I shook my head. "Nothing. You remind me of my sister, Kristy. So sweet and innocent. And… You look like you don't have to worry about much right now—carefree. I like this look better on you than 'Bad Boy Wannabe Nico'.

He laughed. "Hey! I work hard on my image, thank you very much."

I laughed along with him, taking his hand, maybe he didn't have Bianca with him all the time, but he would have me. We fought like a brother and sister too—one minute fighting, the next laughing at one another. I would be his Bianca, if he would be my Kristy.

_And I am up for that challenge,_ I promised. _He is my little brother now. _

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**Sooo? How'd you like it? I've gotten a few reviews over my length of each chapter. True, they are not long, but I plan on making a lot of them to make up for it. So I hope you understand. Did you like the promise River made? I did. ^.^ So cute! Nico needs another sibling figure in his life, don't you think?**

**Anyway, review, review, review!**

**Oh and as a heads up, a friend of mine [Kelly] will be helping me write chapters and giver her two cents every now and then, so... SAY HI, BIT- I MEAN KELLY!**

**Kelly: *glares at me and smiles to reader* Hi, I'm Kelly and I am, as Grace said, going to be help her write something, when she has writer's block and stuff. So... I hope I can help. Byes!**

**~Much love**

**-_Much hate_**

**~Much love**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for all the love, my reviewers, followers, and random readers! Kelly will be writing this chapter, so give her some love, too! ~Grace **

_**Hey, I'm Kelly. Grace's best friend and she is too **__**busy to write, so I'm writing. So… Yeah. Enjoy. –Kelly **_

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We left camp by shadow travel. I was worried that Nico would ruin the plan at first, because he isn't stealthy—like I said before—but he did alright. He was standing at the front of the Ares cabin just as I was leaving myself.

"Are you ready?" He asked me, a little too worried for my taste, but I rolled my eyes affectionately.

"Yes, but chill out a little—you are too paranoid. It's just like sneaking out of the house. Ever done that before?"

He nodded and I sighed, a little disappointed. "Well, it's just like leaving during the day, only you have to be careful no one sees you and you can get out quickly."

"But with shadow traveling, that makes the job easier," Nico finished, understanding how sneaking out works.

"Yup. So… What do I do?" I asked. "Shadow traveling… Do I just hold your hand or something?"

He nodded, "Yeah, but relax, too. You don't want to be tense when you travel."

I took his hand and held it tight. But there was a felling inside of me that made me worry about things. What if I did this wrong? What if I got us both hurt? Should we even try to go on the quest?

I heard Nico start to hum.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"When I was little, Bianca used to hum "Twinkle, twinkle little star" when I was scared. I thought it might help you too."

_Well who says I am scared? _I thought. _You are, dummy. _My other half of my brain said.

I cooled my nerves down and we began to travel. It felt weird. Very weird. There was total darkness, creepy noises, and my face felt like I had plastic surgery gone very, very wrong. In other words? It was creepy and fun. A roller coaster had nothing on this!

I was smiling the whole time and I felt Nico's hand tighten around mine. Then something strange happened—he let go of me… Or rather… torn apart from me.

"River!" He cried. It was a sound that I never wanted to hear—loud, sad, and scary.

"Nico?" I cried back. But it was too late—we were separated and _I _found myself in the Underworld, falling on top on a ghost with a bow and arrow, silver jacket, jeans, and a floppy green hat.

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**And that is where I will stop *evil laughter* Thank Grace for the plot line—I was just typing her written copy. So, that being said—if you don't like the ending, kill her with pitchforks, not me! X D**


	8. Chapter 8

**So did you guys like the last chapter? I hope so! Enjoy!~ Grace**

"Are you okay?" She asked me, kneeling down.

I groaned slightly. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Who are you?"

The girl smiled softly, almost sad. "Well, I was Bianca di Angelo, but now I'm just her ghost. You are not dead, are you?"

_Bianca? di Angelo? Nico's sister? _I thought. "N-no. I'm not dead. I was just shadow traveling with my friend—Nico di Angelo."

Bianca looked both surprised and happy. "Really?" she asked. "You are his friend? He's my brother."

I nodded. "Yeah, we're friends. We were actually going on a quest together, but then we got separated in the shadow travel thing and now… I'm here and he isn't. What happened?"

Her face turned grim. "Only my father has the will to do that. Why he chose to separate you is unfathomable—it's fatal…"

_That's what I get for praying to Hades?_ I thought. _Near death?_ I heard felt the ground beneath me shake a little. _Sorry!_

"I will take you to see my father. Maybe you can sort this out with him," Bianca told me. "C'mon."

I followed her into the throne room of Hades. HE was there, looking at me with a death glare that could literally kill. There was another person there too. I could tell it was his wife, Persephone.

"My father is kinder than he looks, but don't upset Lady Persephone—she turns people into flowers," Bianca whispered into my ear as she turned into mist.

I stood there awkwardly. _What was I supposed to say? What could I say without offending them? If they forced pomegranates into my mouth, would I have to stay here and suffer—_I cut my rambling thoughts off, and kneeled down. "Lord Hades, thank you for allowing me to survive."

"Yes," He said thoughtfully. "I did, didn't I?"

I nodded in agreement. "Yes, you did."

"And do you wish to know where my son is, so you can continue on with your quest?"

I nodded again.

"I shall tell you… But you must do me a favor."

I scoffed. "No way! Where is Nico? He could be dead? What is I never see him again? W—"

"Enough!" Hades bellowed. "Do not be so ungrateful, mortal. There are many things I could have done to you, but chose to keep you in fair health. All I ask of you is to prove yourself to me."

"What?" I asked, still ticked.

"Prove to me you are worthy of my son's friendship. That you are worth his time. He doesn't help me out half as often as he should, because he was at camp with you!"

"No way," I fought back. "Nico is my friend—and he always will be. You don't have the right to make him your personal slave! He told me that the only reason he ever did what you told him to, was because he wanted your acceptance. You are my favorite god—I like you more than my own dad—but I guess I was wrong about you. I thought you understood what it meant to feel used and unloved, because of how you were treated by the other gods. I thought you wouldn't do anything like that to another person—but I was wrong. You _are_ just like the other gods, taking out your anger on other people and make us do your bidding! IT ISN'T RIGHT!"

_Whoa… Did I really just day that? Oh, boy. I'm dead. I'm dead. Hades will kill me now and I am going to die…_

But something else happened. Hades… cried. Or at least, it looked that way. His eyes began to water, his breathe quickened, posture stiff and tight.

"You sharp-tongued fool! You know nothing of my past, present, or future, mortal. Do not act so wise to me. Had I not protected you, you would be dead. If I chose to let my anger out, you would be dead. But I will let you survive. Your death will come with agonizing pain and time. So I will wait."

"And I will be ready," I said, calm and low. Then after a few moments, I sighed. There was no fighting with Hades. OR any god for that matter. And I wanted to find Nico. There was only one way to do that, so I said, "Okay. I will… do this _reasonable_ favor of yours. What do I need to do?"

Hades smirked. "Well, my child. It seems as though you may be smarter than your siblings. I need you to go to Nebraska. Find the lady. Ease her woes."

"What lady? What woes?"

"And along the way, you might just find Nico _and_ the answer you are hoping to find. See? I can be gracious."

I bowed politely. "Thank you, m'lord."

As I turned to leave, Hades said, "And River? Remember that not all courage is standing up to someone. Sometimes it is to be strong enough to let it go."

I smiled. _So maybe Hades is like Nico—you have to break away all the bad to start to see the good._ "Thank you. M'lord. I will ease this lady's woes as soon as I can."

**And now, the quest actually will begin! Yay, quests! Let me know if there are any monsters you would like to see and I'll try my hardest to work them into my plot! ~Much love**


	9. Chapter 9

**So, it has been a week and I just want to say that I will most likely be uploading every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as those are the days I have "Free Time" and no "Study Time". Yes, yes, I know—It's terrible. But it's school's fault, so blame whoever invented homework.**

**Also! **Writer2be14 **reminded me that Bianca chose rebirth, so I am fixing that plot hole in this chapter. And another shout-out to **JustPlainOldMe, **Who complemented me on how Ever is ****not**** a Mary-Sue. That made me very happy, because at times I thought she **_**was**_** too perfect. :DDD And no, I took no offense, in fact, I was going to make River "grow" a bit more in this chapter too. ; }**

**So, before you kill me because of this long author's note, here you are! Enjoy! :D**

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.**O**.**o**.**O**.

* * *

I left the throne room of Hades and saw Bianca waiting for me. I was going to smile at her, but she looked a little worried.

"Hey," I said. "What's up?"

She looked at me, a little sad. "I have chosen to be re-born. I thought that maybe I would see Nico again, watching him grow up."

I smiled. "That's great!"

"But what if I _don't_ see my brother again? Will you tell him I miss him, love him, and tell him… Tell him to remember what we talked about the last time we spoke. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, I'll let him know. And thank you, Bianca. And be safe."

"You too, good luck."

I turned around smiling. _It's time to find the lady in Nebraska, _I thought. _Lucky me…_

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.**O**.**o**.**O**.

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There is one reason I do _not_ like Nebraska and one reason alone. I'm a felon there. Yeah, go ahead, hate me all you want—I don't care. It was a _big_ deal at the time. I simply escaped the school after beating up a few kids very badly and I won't say more, because I don't want to give you night terrors.

Anyway, I took a train from New York to Indiana. I didn't have any money to pay for another ticket to go to Nebraska, so I walked around the city of Indiana. I went inside a restaurant, deciding that cleaning dishes for not paying was better than not eating at all.

Word from the wise: If you are a demigod on a quest and put into that situation, do the labor, but do it so bad, they don't want your help anymore.

"Just leave and never come back!" The manager, Kelly, yelled at me. I smirked. _Another problem solved well enough, _I thought, happily.

"I bet you think that was so clever, didn't you, _sis_?"

I turned around. There was a man leaning on a light pole. "I'm sorry... I am _not_ your sister, so get lost you b—"

The man snapped his fingers and a memory flashed before my eyes.

_My mom was yelling at me and I was crying on the floor. I wanted to run away, but Mom held me tight on the wrist. She kept hitting me and hitting me, yelling words like I was useless and crazy._

_I was four years old at the time._

The man snapped his fingers again. "My name is Deimos, god of fear, son of Ares, brother to an abused, idiotic teenage girl. Make sense now, or is your brain too small to understand that much?"

I growled, ready to fight, but then I remembered what Hades told me. And this guy was not worth the fight he wanted, so I would not please him.

"Okay. What is it you want?" I asked, calming myself down.

Deimos took his time taking out a knife and spinning it around before talking again. "I was at camp to torment some of my other siblings and Chiron was worried about two campers who escaped. You and your little boyfriend—"

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"—I talked to Dad and he said to find you. Well, I've found you, but I like you. I don't know… There's just this vibe about you that I like, so I'm going to help you out. I understand that you're on a quest to find happiness. You are doing a favor for Hades, _and_ are looking for Nico along the way. Well, what would you say I help you out a bit?"

"Gods can't interfere with quests directly," I pointed out. "So I don't think I'll be needing your help."

"I'm not helping directly and without my help, how are you going to help the old hag—I mean, _lady_?"

I sighed. "Okay, okay. How can you help me?"

He smirked. "As the god of fear, I know every single fear about every single person and god. All I want you to do is fight me. If you fight me, get over your fears, you will know how to help the lady."

My face turned red. "I will _not_ fight you! You want to scare me, but trust me, babe, you can't and won't. I don't have anything to fear! Besides, how would this help me help the old lady?"

Deimos rolled his eyes. "How can you help someone, when you can't even help yourself?"

I stomped the ground—yes, I stomped the ground like a three year old. Who cares? "Fine! Fine, fine, you big dolt."

Right after I finished talking, he charged at me, tackling me to the ground. I tried to open my eyes, but couldn't I was surrounded by total darkness.

I heard my brother laugh, even though I couldn't see him. "Not so cocky now are you? If you beat all your fears, you've won. But that means you need to beat your fear of the dark, abuse, ridicule, and love. Good luck, you'll need it."

I groaned slightly. _This was not the fight I wanted. I'm all alone. In the dark. SPIDER! Oh, wait, no. that was a—what was that noise? AHHHH!_

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**Aw, poor River. I hate seeing her in such despair. Oh well, she's tough. She can do it… Or can she? Anyway, I'll upload a new chapter in the morning. Good nights!**


	10. Chapter 10

**So I was in an operation and I wanted to give myself a break. So… Yeah. I'm back now. Here's the chapter. Thank you to all who reviewed! You mean the world to me! (::)(::)(::)(::)**

I tried getting up, I tried calling for help—nothing worked. I was literally paralyzed with fear. I began to cry. It wasn't the darkness that scared me. No. What scared me was the idea that I was lost and would never find my way out of the darkness.

_Maybe… _I thought weakly. _Maybe if I sit here and deal with the darkness, I can move on. _It was the only idea I had, so I tried.

Nothing.

As the moments went by, I became even more scared. The white noise becoming louder and louder inside my mind. I prayed to my dad.

_Daddy? Can you hear me? Help._ Nothing.

The realization that I was on my own washed over me. As always. I mentally slapped myself. If normal people get over their fears every day, so could I.

I slowly got on my hands and knees, regaining on confidence and balance back. I tried to get on my feet. It was hard and took a long time, but I was able to do it.

I smiled. _I'm on my way._ I took my first step, but failed miserably. I fell back to the ground. I was crippled.

_Okay… Plan B. Athena? If you're listening, send me a plan B. _Again, no help.

Then I came up with a solution. My arms could move, but my legs could not. What if I simply crawled, using my arms to move? Kinda like they did in the army?

I tried it and was rewarded with the ability to move. I smiled. _Now I am really on my way._

I crawled for what felt like hours, stopping every once in a while because of a scary noise or a jolt of paranoia; then stopped, because I was back in my house.

Everything was the same. My little sister was sitting in the corner, playing with her dolls, smiling. The smell of alcohol and cigarettes filled the air. Not the type of smell I wanted to smell after crawling through total darkness, but it was better than nothing.

Then the rain fell on my parade. I heard footsteps approaching. My mother.

I will spare you the bloody details, but suffice it to say glass bottles make excellent weapons. She kept hitting me and calling me names. Like 'worthless' and 'stupid' or 'ugly'. I cried. This was my mother. Why would she do this to me?

_Do what you did in the darkness, _a thought ran through my mind. _Move. _Just as the glass bottle began to swing down again, I rolled over to the left, avoiding the blow.

"What?" My mother rasped.

"Leave me alone," I said, deathly calm. Sometimes, being calm was scarier than lashing out. I hoped this was one of those cases.

It didn't help. "Oh my—I am your mother. You are my child. You can't tell me what to do."

I shook my head. "You are not my mother. Mothers care, protect, and _love_ their kids. You don't. You don't love me. I won't let you hurt me or ruin my life anymore."

She laughed. "Oh, a big girl now? Where will you live? Who will be there for you? Not your dad, I know that for sure. How will you make it in the big bad world, River? Tell me that."

"I will live at my home—Camp Half-Blood. Nico will be there for me. My dad will love me. And how I will make it is none of your concern, _mother._"

I felt tears in my eyes, stinging, but I would not cry. I loved my mom—even through all her bad qualities—but I had to do this. And I could not cry. Could not show a sign of weakness.

My mother scoffed. "Whatever. Get out of my house."

I crossed my arms. "Not without Kristy. She's as much a victim as I am."

"You are not taking her! You will _not_ take my baby!"

I felt my face burn. _I _was her baby. Kristy was adopted. Not to belittle Kristy—I loved her. But how could my mother do this to me? Then Hades's words came back to mind.

I sighed. "Fine. I'll go. Without your baby." I looked at Kristy and waved goodbye, before heading for the door, breaking my heart with every step I made.

I felt a sudden pull around me. I tried to fight it._ What the?_ I thought. I lost control over my body and was pushed back. When I opened my eyes, I was back in the street with Deimos.

"What was—"

"I pulled you out of your fears, because your soul was beginning to burn your body alive. Your fear and anger and heartbreak were too much for your body to handle, so—"

A rock was thrown as Deimos's head. I turned to see the attacker and I swear, I felt my heart stop for a second.

Nico.

"How…"

He turned to me and smiled. "River, your alive! I felt your aura begin to die, so I tried to find you. Thankfully was able to feel your power and get here in time." He glared at Deimos.

I laughed softly, getting on my feet. "Like a hound dog." I hugged him. It felt nice having my friend with me again. _No_, I thought, _he's my brother._

I looked back at Deimos. "If Nico hadn't come along, would you have let my soul burn?"

He smirked. "Maybe… Maybe not. Did you get the message?"

I nodded. He wanted me to know the difference of when I should fight on and when I should hold back. It wasn't always going to be easy, but I knew what I had to do.

"Good. Then you are not as hopeless as some of your other siblings. I promised you help for the Nevada chick, but, because you actually have a brain, I'll give you transportation too. Good luck, lil' sis."

I averted my eyes as my brother turned into his true divine form, shielding Nico's eye as well. When he was gone, I noticed he left a motorcycle. I grinned at Nico.

"I'm driving!" He stopped his foot.

"Aw! I wanted to." I laughed, hugging him and walking at the same time.

As we got on, Nico asked, "Where to now, Riv?"

I thought for a moment. _There is no rush to get to Nebraska and Nico and I need a break… _I smiled. "Chicago, Illinois."

"What's there?"

I laughed. "Navy Pier."


	11. Chapter 11

**So, I felt bad for being MIA for so long, so I wrote a second chapter. AND I forgot to give you guys shout-outs. **

**So, Thank you to **writer2be14 **and** JustPlainOldMe. **Your reviews made me smile so much! **

**I'm actually looking at a color coded-labeled map as I write this, heehee. ^.^'**

**And I promise to not deprive you of River anymore!**

**And on with the story!**

* * *

I thought after all we'd been through—especially Nico—going to Navy Pier was not a big deal. We rode for a long time—several hours at least—but when Nico's grip started to loosen, I decided to take us to a motel nearby.

"Nico?" I whispered, shaking him slightly.

"Mm?" He groaned, rubbing his eyes.

I got off the bike and pulled Nico off. "C'mon, we can rest here for the night."

I let Nico lean on me, still so tired.

When two teens try to get a room in a motel that is open for hire on the side of the road, smelling like pigs, you would expect people to ask questions. If you thought this, you are wrong.

There was a receptionist behind a desk, typing away. She didn't even notice us come in.

"Um, Miss?" I asked, adjusting Nico's arm around my shoulder.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, my dears! You must be so tired. Come here, I'll help you."

I smiled at her hospitality. "Thank you. My name is R—Rachel and this is James."

I didn't want to give our real names, giving us baggage. She didn't question any further, which I was happy for, because I didn't want to have to think—my head hurt too much.

"My name is Lania. I'm the owner of this motel," She said, getting up from her desk. "Follow me and I'll show you to your room. Or is it rooms?"

I shook my head. "Just one room. I can't afford two." _As if you could afford one… _

Lania laughed softly. It was sweet as honey. "No charge. You're only children! You should be given everything in life for free! Such young innocence…"

Okay, I _should_ have left when she said that. I mean… Really? And the way her voice changed to a raspy, sickening, nails-on-a-chalk-board voice was very creepy, but oh well. I blame Hypnos.

"Thank you, Ma'am—"

"Please, call me Lania," She asked, her voice honey-sweet again.

"Thank you, _Lania_. I really appreciate this. Are you sure—" I yawned, "—That I don't have to—"

I felt Lamia's hand on my back, rubbing it. "No, no. Here," She pointed to a door. Here is you room and I will show James to his room."

I trudged to my room, opened the door, ignoring everything, except the wonderfully fluffy bed.

Okay, so remember how I said I blame Hypnos? Yeah, well, as it turns out, he is a really nice guy. I mean, he saved me from being totally devoured.

In my dream, I was in a museum, looking at old artifacts from Ancient Greece. A man was following me, but I was not worried. _That's a first,_ I thought.

"Do you know this story?" He asked me, pointing to a painting. I turned around and looked at it. It took me a moment, but I realized who it was.

"That's Lamia. She was forced by Hera to devour her own children. After she did, Hera made her look hideous—the wrath of Hera."

"And yet you do not have the wits to notice such details awake," he muttered.

"What?"

He looked at me. "Well? Must I spell it out for you? Lania is Lamia. Do you want to be devoured, like her children? No? Okay, wake up and kill her."

I waited for a moment, staring at Hypnos. Neither of us moved a muscle or said a word.

"Well?" He asked again.

"You have to wake me up again, being the god of sleep and all…"

His eyes widened. "Oh! Oh, yes, okay," he snapped his fingers and I found my eyes flutter open.

I slowly got out of my bed and crept to the door. I was thinking of all the exit routes and how much time I has to grab Nico, before Lamia attacked us.

_I wish I had a weapon, _I thought.

Once I gathered my thoughts, I opened the door.

"Ah!" I screamed for a good, long five seconds. Lamia was literally standing right outside my door—not even a centimeter apart—smiling like a lunatic.

"Don't be scared, darling. I just came in for a quick snack," She laughed like a maniac.

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**Ooh, cliffhanger! If I get a few reviews, I will upload a new chapter tomorrow on the 20th.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for the new reviews, my little lovelies! You guys are soo sweet to River and Nico! : )**

**In this chapter, I will include **writer2be14's **idea—thank you for the inspiration, because I wasn't sure how she was going to fight her off.**

**And, thanks to **JustPlainOldMe! **I named River the way I did, because I wanted to make her name a contradiction to her personality as a sort of irony. (Ex. Rivers are calm and cool, whereas River is a bit unpredictable and a fighter. And how she wants peace and happiness? Also a trait I associate with rivers.)**

**And as for Lamia, I got that off of Wikipedia, so I'm not sure if she is a real myth or not, but it had a connection with her eating children and Nico and River being children so… Yeah ^.^' **

**In the next chapter, Nico and River talk about their families and River finally tells Nico everything about her mother, so look forword to that. ;)))**

**But her sword **_**is **_**real. **

**Enjoy!**

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The first thing I noticed: It was the middle of the night.

Second thing I noticed: Lamia wore sunglasses.

_Okay… _I thought, _Maybe she can't see very well so sneaking out will not be so hard. _

But it didn't work out that way. She threw herself with undomesticated speed.

"Ah!" I screamed as loud as I could as Lamia tackled me to the ground. She licked her slimy forked tongue along my neck. I felt tears well up in my eyes, but I didn't bother holding them in. I kicked and punched.

She was worse than my mother—and that is saying something.

Even though I fought back, something about Lamia made me not try as hard. It was her sense of motherhood. You could just see it. Before she ate her children, she must have been a good mother.

_Maybe she still is, _the stupid part of my brain said.

_Snap out of it, Stupid—she's a monster! Finish her off,_ screamed the sane side of my brain. _Daddy? Please, please! I'm begging you—help._

And this time, my prayers were answered. In the corner of the room sat a pure golden Greek Koptis, a twenty-two inch sword.

I smiled. It wasn't too far away, thank the gods. _But how do I get it?_ I wondered. _What's something that would tick her off enough to let me go, but not to the point where she kills me on the spot…_

I began to cry. Not a few tears of pity—big sobs of desperation.

She looked at me confused. "What—"

I breathed heavily. "My head hurts, Lamia, make it stop!"

She was worried at got off me. "What happened? Did I hit you—" I smacked her, running for my sword.

She screeched in horror. "How dare you betray my kindness, you demon spawn! No wonder your mother hates you! She never loved you because you are unlovable!"

"I beg to differ," I turned around.

"Nico," I exhaled a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

"You okay, sis?"

I smiled. "For the most part."

Lamia laughed. "Oh my darlings, don't know you cannot kill me? I can take on the form of your mothers—people who like it or not, you cannot kill. Save yourselves the trouble and give up."

"No way," I said, charging at her. I wish I'd heeded her warning though. She shape-shifted into the form of my mother. And she was right—something about me held back. Had Nico not swung at her with his sword, I probably wouldn't have made it out alive.

He took over, slashing and fighting with a powerful anger that is indescribable. If swordplay were a dance, he would have won Dancing with the Stars. I felt my head turn dizzy. I looked at my stomach, the place Lamia kept clawing at with her sharp, long yellow talons.

Blood. I almost passed out, but then something snapped me back to reality—Nico was on the ground not moving. And Lamia was about to eat him. I felt my heart fill with rage.

Not him. Not my Nico. My breathing became heavier as I tried to calm myself down. Rage would not help me win this battle. It didn't work.

"GET OFF MY BROTHER!" I took up my sword and charged at Lamia again, this time with a fierce anger I didn't even know I had. "YOU WILL NOT HURT HIM! EVER!"

I was fighting and slashing at her blindly, not even thinking. Finally, my sword touched her skin, making her erupt into monster dust.

I checked Nico's pulse. Alive. _Thank the gods, but how…_ I quickly ran out the room, down the stairs and searched Lamia's desk for ambrosia. _Why hadn't I prepared for this before we left camp?_

Again, I counted my blessings. There was a small square of ambrosia—just enough to heal Nico. I ran back to him and fed him a little of the food of the gods. Nothing happened at first, but then his breathing quickened and his eyes opened.

"Riv?"

I laughed from joy. "Right here. I'm right here," I took his hand.

"You saved me. Thank you."

"No problem. You should sleep. Get your rest. We're safe… for now. We'll leave in the morning."

"No," he grunted. "I'm okay, really. We need to get going now."

My smile faded. "No. You need to rest. Please, Nico? Trust me. You need to sleep."

He just rolled his eyes and sighed. "Okay, I guess you're right. But—in the morning, _I_ decide where we stop. You suck at picking out rest spots."

I laughed. _He is such a child, _I thought affectionately.

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**River seems a bit like Bianca, doesn't she? She have little moments where she is like that, or no?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Aw! I got 2 reviews and now I'm writing this. Thank you, **Writer2be14 **I forgot about the arch! And thanks to** JustPlainOldMe **I'm glad you love my stories so much, and thank you—I don't want to burn alive either. You both have such enthusiasm, so I award you both blue cookies. (::)(::)(::)(::)**

**Picture of River: ?q=Clarisse+LaRue#/d3cooox**

**Note: This is ****not**** drawn by me.**

**Enjoy!**

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I let Nico rest the whole night, while I stood watch. I wanted to make sure nothing else bad happened—that was the last thing we needed. I spent my night thinking. Lamia didn't just morph into my mom. She brought back killer memories. And by killer, I am _not_ exaggerating.

For example, when I was three, I was waiting outside the only bathroom in my house—I waited for fifteen minutes—and then I couldn't handle it anymore. I ran into the backyard and I went inside one of my mom's flower pots. Just as I was washing my hands in the kitchen sink, my mom saw what I'd done. She beat me until I was purple. That bruise lasted for six days.

Another time, when I was five, I was playing with Kristy and I rolled into the kitchen, where my mom was cooking. I _distracted_ her, making her pour all her liquor in the sink. I got a black eye from that.

And then—well, you get the idea. I got abused every few weeks or so over something stupid. Every time, my mom had the same excuse: "Why are you such a bad child? Don't you care for your mommy? Your father does care for you! Stop making my life so hard, with your sporadic behavior."

As I got older, the punishments got harder, harsher, stayed on my body longer.

I felt a small tear in my eye. _My mother hates me, but my father loves me_, I thought, laughing a cold chuckle. _Daddy's little girl._

I felt arms wrap around me. I turned my head, worried that it was a monster, but sighed in relief. "Nico, what's up?"

He hugged tighter. I had a bad dream about Bianca and Mom and Dad. So I woke up, but then I heard you talk about _your_ mom and… I thought you needed a hug more than I did."

"Aw, Nico, thanks," I turned around to hug him back. "I'm sorry about your mom and sister. Want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "You already know about Bianca and… I can't remember my mom."

I sighed. It must suck for him, not remembering his mom. "I'm sure she was nice," I ventured, not wanting to over-step. This was a sensitive topic for both of us. I pulled him along.

"Where are we going?"

"I want to see if Lamia has any money laying around. We'll need it if we are going to go to Navy Pier."

Nico looked a little surprised. "We're still going?"

I nodded. "Why not? It's not too far away. And like I said, we deserve it. Unless you don't want to go—"

"No, no! I want to go!" He interrupted. I grinned.

_I knew it._

As it turned out, Lamia _did_ have money. Lots of it, too. If we spent it wisely, we could pay for Navy Pier, new clothes, and food.

After we took all the money, I was about to drive us away, but Nico stopped.

"Oh, no you don't," He got on. "_I'm_ driving this time, remember?"

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, you big baby."

We were about to drive off, but just then an Iris message pulled through. Chiron, Clarisse, and Percy were standing there, looking like they wanted to murder us.

"Where are you?" My sister demanded.

"In the US," I told her.

"In the US me-me-me," she mimicked. Percy moved her out of the message.

"Um," I said, searching for words. "Look, I know you must be really mad, Chiron, but we're safe."

"You disobeyed."

"I'm glad I did! Look, Chiron—I have to do this. And I'm not coming back to camp until it's done."

"And what, pray tell, is this '_it_'?"

"My quest and fulfilling a promise I made to Hades."

Chiron's expression softened a little. "Just be safe. People at camp were worried about you."

"I'll be fine," I said.

"Okay then. And Mr. di Angelo? I hope you have a learner's permit," Chiron said before waving across the message.

"That went better than I thought it would," Nico commented.

I laughed in agreement. "Yes, yes it did. Let's go Death Boy."

He started the motorcycle and we rode off to Navy Pier.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello, my little beauties! Okay, so for the link to see River, it came from the toolbar, so just copy that into it and it **_**should**_** take you to some link on Deviant Art, if I am not mistaken.**

**Once again, thank you to **JustPlainOldMe, **as usual, you ROCK! : ) I am doing very well, I hope the world is being nice to you as well. And thank you for complementing Nico and River, as an author, I was worried that they would seem too… Fake? I guess that's the word I'm looking for, so thanks for giving me my confidence back—I love you! |::| |::| |::| |::| ; )**

**And thanks to **Writer2Be14,** thanks for the monster inspiration—you are a huge help with how I should handle my story when I'm stuck! : ) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I am glad to report that we were _not_ attacked on our way to Navy Pier. However, we did see a hellhound, so don't get too excited.

Nico was amazed by the Pier—I'm talking Disneyland amazed—and it made me wonder, _When was the last time Nico had any real fun to just goof off and be a kid?_

I didn't know, but I would be willing to bet not in a long time, because he wanted to ride on everything. We screamed on the rides, took ridiculous pictures of ourselves, and ate until we lost our voices, our eyes hurt, and until we couldn't eat anymore.

We spent the day laughing and enjoying the day until something caught Nico's eye. He ran as fast as he could to go to a kiosk that had no people.

I ran after him. "Nico?" He turned around, pointed to the sign and jumped up and down.

_**Myth-o-magic**_, I deciphered slowly. I rolled my eyes, fully understanding his obsession with this place.

When I reached the counter, Nico was looking at a few cards. Ares, Aphrodite, Athena.

"Can I get them?" Nico asked, still hyper.

I looked at the person behind the counter. "How much?"

"More than you have, I'm willing to bet."

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever, come on, Nico—we're leaving."

But not before I swiped the cards away without anyone noticing. When we were out of sight, I gave Nico the cards.

"You took them?" He asked, taking the cards, but slightly worried. "Won't you get caught?"

I shook my head. "Naw, I don't think he noticed. Anyway, it's a gift."

He hugged me a little tighter than usual. "Promise you won't get hurt?"

I heard something in his voice. Pain. I knew the sound, because it escaped my lips so many times before. If I agreed to this promise, but didn't fulfill it, it would break him. But on a quest, that kind of promise in nearly impossible to keep.

"I'll try my hardest, Nico, I really will."

He smiled again. "Good. I hope so. I don't want you to get hurt because of this game, like Bianca did, She tried to get me a statue of Hades—the only statue I didn't have—but she died."

I didn't say anything. Nothing was left to say. '_Sorry' _or '_Are you okay?'_ would have been stupid things to say.

"C'mon," Nico sighed. "We should get to Nevada."

I nodded. He had a point, we'd been gone for almost a week. Not that we had a timeline over our heads or anything, but getting the job done _would_ be nice.

We were almost to the bike when Nico tensed up. Then I noticed it too—a hellhound—almost the size of Mrs. O'Leary—scaring a little kid.

I'm not sure what the kid saw through the mist, but the mom kept trying to calm him and coax him to be quiet. It didn't work, though.

"We need to drive it away," I said, feeling like I should o something.

"No way," Nico said. "It's not bothering us, leave it alone."

I sighed, exasperated. "Nico, we can't just leave. Our duty as demigods is to protect humans and help the gods—that's what we do. On the count of three, I'm going to charge. You take the bike and ride until you're about a mile away from here. Got it? I'll meet you there."

"Forget it—I'm not going anywhere. You'll get yourself killed and you know it. You're hiding your injuries poorly, Riv. Step up your game."

I rolled my eyes. "One."

"Two."

I smiled. Something about this fight held promise. "Three."

We charged. I tried to tackled the monster, but only managed to make it move over a few feet.

"Oh my God," the mother gasped. "What are you doing to that poor poodle, you horrible child!"

Despite the immense danger I was in, I couldn't help raise my eyebrow. _A poodle? Really?_

The hellhound barked and hit me with its paw, knocking me to the ground. I rolled over, trying to step back from the situation and look at it differently.

Nico was trying to get the family away, but to no avail. _Stubborn people_… I took out my sword and charged again.

_This is for you, Daddy,_ I thought, running full on at the beast. I dodged a few blows to the head, but was bitten.

If you are ever bitten by a hellhound and do not scream in total agony, you will win my respect for eternity—because those teeth hurt like liquid lava ten a million.

I hissed in pain, unable to see straight. _Oh gods. Are there supposed to be colorful dots in the sky?_

It took me a moment. A long, extended, all-most-about-to-be-hit-by-falling-objects moment for my brain to realize they were pegisi.

Nico tackled me out of the way, just as the pegisi landed on the hellhound. It wasn't dead—no, that would be impossible—but it was confused. In that second, Nico threw his sword at the hound, killing it off, dissolving into the gross golden powder.

I got off the ground. There were two pegisi—one pure white and one slivery-grey.

There was a not on one of the wings.

_Keep it up—you're making me proud, son. I hope these pegisi help you on your quest~ Hades_

_P.S. Tell River she needs to remember what I told her._

I thought back to the last thing Hades told me. _Was I not supposed to fight this hellhound? Would it have been smarter to let it go? What if—_

"River," Nico gasped. "Your arm!"

I looked at my wound. It looked bad. I couldn't deny it any longer—I was tired. My first monster attack was hard enough and left me with everlastingly battle scars and this hound was no different. I was weak and tired, but I couldn't let Nico see me fail. He looked up to me, didn't he? No need to show him weakness.

"Ambrosia?" I suggested. He nodded and took out the ambrosia that we'd taken from Lamia.

I ate it, wishing I could have more, but held myself back. _No need it burning yourself to death, Riv._

"We should go," Nico said, Reading the note. "People will be trying to find out what happened."

"Yeah," I got on the white Pegasus. "I can see the headlines now:_ Lunatic Girl and Friend Killed Innocent Poodle._"

He smirked. "Well, look on the bright side—you'll be famous."

I punched his arm softly before we took to the air.

About ten minutes after we were flying, I fell asleep, completely tired, but not before I saw Nico slip a myth-o-magic card into my hand.

"For good luck," He whispered. When he looked the other way, I took a peek at my card.

_Ares._


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello, my perfect peoples! So, onto the shout-outs:**

JustPlainOldMe: **You are too sweet! : D Thank you for the confidence booster! I'm so happy to know you think I'm awesome!**

Writer2be14: **I still say Rivico is an awesome mash-up name. Love it! :D**

**And cookies to all my followers, reviewers, favorites, and the 978 views I have gotten! Wow, that's a lot of people! :DDD **

**(:: )(:: )(:: )(::)(::)(::)(::) (:: )(:: )(:: )(::)(::)(::)(::) (:: )(:: )(:: )(::)(::)(::)(::) (:: )(:: )(:: )(::)(::)(::)(::) (:: )(:: )(:: )(::)**

**Oh, and just so you guys don't get disappointed by my monsters of choice, these are the only ones I could remember off the top of my head from my world mythology class. Soo… yeah.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I woke up around six o'clock, I'm guessing, because the sun was beginning to rise. I was still on my Pegasus and Nico was flying just a few feet ahead.

"Nico?" I asked, my voice layered with dazed sleep. "Where are we?"

His horse slowed down until we were side by side. "We're about an hour from Nevada."

I sighed in relief. Only two monsters in the entire quest so far. Amazing. But then I remembered…

"Nico? The closer we get to California, the more monsters there are right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Nevada is right next to California. And who is this old lady? How will I ease her woes?"

Nico shrugged. "I'm not sure. Knowing my dad, I'd say you'll know when you see them. He's a real mystery, my dad. Anyway, I think the bigger question is—are you okay? I mean, if we are so close to California, don't you think there'll be more monsters? What if you get hurt even more? I don't want you killing yourself to please my dad…"

I looked at him with all seriousness in my eyes. "I am not doing this for him. I am doing this for me—because I have not been happy for many, many years and I want that happiness back—and for you."

"Why me?"

"Because I am your Bianca," I told him. "And you're my Kristy. We're a team."

Nico's cheeks flushed a light pink. "We do make a pretty interesting team, don't we?"

I smirked. "Strange is more like it. After all, we are pretty messed up."

Nico fake scoffed. "I'm not strange, I'm special… Or so Percy tells me…"

I laughed. "It's his job as your friend to sugarcoat things for you—as your sister, I don't _have_ to give you that luxury."

"Oh, you are _so_ mean to me! I'm telling my dad on you!"

"And I'll tell my dad on _you_," I countered, sticking my tongue out, like an immature child.

While we rode, we continued the witty banters, talked about what life will be like at camp, once we return, and stuff like that. We both agreed to really get out there—talk to people, enjoy being with other, and make friends, because we didn't do a lot of that.

And whoever was a jerk to us, well, they would really be missing out, wouldn't they?

It was then that I noticed something—I'd laughed, opened up, joked around, and showed a lot more affection than I had in a very long time. Around Nico, it was safe and I couldn't get hurt; unlike the ideal I was raised by: _Everyone is this world will take advantage and hurt you if you show weakness or let them in_. Those were words I'd lived by for years.

_Maybe,_ I thought. _Just maybe, I was wrong. _I smiled.

Nico bumped me. "What're you thinking of, smilie?"

I shook my head. "Just a thought. Nothing important, promise."

The horse began to descend from the air, whining. I know I'm not Percy—so I can't speak horse for my life—but I was fairly certain we'd reached Nevada. When we landed, they flew back into the sky, leaving us to our own devices again.

I swung my arms carelessly. "So… Where to now?"

Nico shrugged. "I dunno. Where do you want to go?"

_Athena? Would you be so kind as to… I don't know… SHOOT ME WITH SMARTICAL PARTICLES, BECAUSE I AM TOTALLY LOST!_ I thought.

I waited for two minutes. Nothing. I sighed. "Um… Let's go walk around the streets—see if there are any beggar women or something."

He smirked, taking my hand. "That's your best idea?"

"It's my _only_ idea; besides, I don't see you offering any words of wisdom."

"That's because it's not my quest."

I growled softly. "Beaten by logic."

At first, we _did_ look for beggar women, but we ended up going bowling, playing soccer, BMX riding, and skateboarding.

We have great attention spans, don't we?

But the fun came with a terrible price. We faced five monsters—Five! We couldn't even kill them, because they were too strong, so we fought and ran. I took us _hours_ to shake them off our tail. Now, please, don't judge us too harshly—there was an Echidna, chimera, drakon, empusa, and a gryphon!

But around five o'clock, I thought it was safe so I bought us some pizza and we sat outside a casino, planning what we were going to do.

"Well…" Nico thought. "Depending on _who_ we are looking for, we might find them in different places."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, have you ever heard of a middle aged man going skateboarding or BMX riding?"

I shook my head.

"Right. Because they would be in _where_? A casino, like this one," I said pointing to the casino with his pizza.

I slapped myself. "You're right! Why didn't I think of that? Your dad said '_lady_', as in—not a child. So, it might mean she's in a casino."

"Or somewhere else, like a bar or something."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, but let's assume the lady is in a casino."

Nico relented. "Which casino then?"

Just then, a woman ran out of the casino behind us, drunk as Dionysus on a wedding before he was punished. She lost her left high heel, staggering forward, her blonde hair was a mess, red strapless mini dress, falling down slightly. She was crying like a depressed lunatic on drugs.

"Oh my God! Why did I let her leave? My poor, poor, Puddle!" She wailed at the top of her lungs.

I looked at Nico with a raised eyebrow. "This is what too much alcohol does to a person, Nico—remember that when you're older."

He stifled a laugh as the woman fell down again. She began to weep—no not weep—sob huge tears, gasping for air that she couldn't seem to get. It was only when she pushed her tangled mess of hair away from her face that I realized who it was—the lady. It _had _to be. Hades _knew_.

I turned around slowly. "Mom?"

* * *

**Ooh, I just love being so evil- Deal with that ending, why don't you? Lol ;D Just kidding! I'm fairly certain I'm going to write the next chapter right after I submit this! XD**


	16. Chapter 16

**Like I said—I'm writing this *looks at clock* barely two minutes after I posted the last chapter—I haven't even gotten a review yet and I'm writing! ;D Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The woman who I thought was my mom looked at me and smiled like a murderer. "Puddle!"

I groaned on the inside. If I was supposed to ease my mom's woes, I can to show compassion. I moved closer. "No, you named me River, _remember_? Not 'Puddle', but close."

She pulled me closer to her, smoothing my nasty, oily hair. "Oh, yeah. _River_. So pretty," Her eyes drifted to Nico. "You have a boyfriend, River? Let me meet him, like a proper mother should."

She began to laugh hysterically, like the idea of being a mother was the funniest thing in the world—a big joke.

I sighed, my patience wearing thin. "That's Nico, Mom. He's my best friend. More like a brother, really."

She nodded her head in understanding. "I… had _no idea_! I'm sorry, Nico… COME GIVE YOUR FAKE MOTHER A HUG, YOU… BOY!"

Nico's eyes grew the size of golf balls. I couldn't blame him. In a way, my mom was scarier than the monsters we faced, but he still scooted closer to my mom a little, giving her a small hug.

Then my mom began to cry again.

"What's wrong, Mom?" _Besides your obviously drunk for the millionth time this year._

"I… Was such a bad mother to you—I'M SORRY!"

I wasn't expecting that one. I looked at Nico for some reassurance and help, but he was just as clueless.

"Oh, Mom—I know you don't mean it. It's okay—you're always too drunk to care for me," I patted her back, like a good friend would.

"Yeah," Nico agreed. "It wasn't your fault. There are bad mothers everywhere, but you can change your ways—and we'll be here to help you."

She began to calm down. "Promise?"

"Totally. I love you, Mom. I'll help you out anyway I can," I said, unsure if it was a lie or not.

She smiled and leaned into me. "You know, _this_ is why I love your father—he helps me through things and cares about the people in his heart. No matter how bad I got, your dad was there, caring for me, helping me over my hangovers—everything."

I felt tears in my eyes. I'd never thought about it, but when my mom was sober, she was a very nice person. Too bad she wasn't like that for more than a few hours of the day. But if Dad could care for her until was born, I could too. I was too cowardly to not do anything.

I hugged her tight. "I will be there for you."

"But… CAMP!" She wailed again.

"I'm going to go to camp, but when I come home, I'll be there for you. All you have to do is stay sober enough to keep Kristy safe and your job stable. Then I'll be home and will help you when you need it."

Then my mom took my hand and out it to her heart. "It's too bad in the morning I may not remember this."

"Then I will remind you—every time I visit."

She kissed me on the forehead. "Now, it may be that I am too drunk, but I think the furies, Tisiphone and Megera are over there," She pointed to the curb. As it turned out, she was right—they were standing right there, watching us.

"I think this is where you leave me, River, but remember I love you and Kristy with all my heart. And, Nico? You're welcome to my house anytime, dear."

It's amazing—sometimes, even if she's drunk—my mother is so motherly and caring, it makes you wonder why you didn't like her to begin with.

She wasn't completely cured, I knew that, but it was a nice start. A hopeful start—one filled with love. And I was ready to take on the challenges and bumps in the road ahead.

Mom let Nico and me go and we walked to the furies, holding hands and smiling.

"Lord Hades know of your deed. We must take you to the Underworld, then you may go back to camp," Tisiphone hissed. She took me him her arms as Megera took Nico in her's and we went to meet the lord of the dead again.

~o.O.o~

"So," Hades said, once we were in his throne room again. "You have done your task. I thank you for that."

I bowed slightly. "Thank you, lord."

"And I promised you help. But, first let me ask you—do you know the answer to your quest?"

"Father!" Nico interjected. "Please don't toy with River like that. Tell her, like you—"

"Silence boy or I shall call Persephone and Demeter down to punish you!"

Nico's eyes widen. "No! I don't want to be a flower… Or feed more cereal!"

"Then do yourself a favor and shut up."

I sighed, thinking. _Okay, Athena, I know I must have offended you with the smartical partical comment, but please? Help? _Then I was able to make the connection—_thank you, Athena!_

"Well, before I knew what happiness was, I never told anyone about my mother or any other baggage I had. When I opened up and let people in, Nico became my _little brother_ and best friend. When I forgave my mother, I let my walls down again, getting a healthy relationship start with my mom again…"

"Yes…?" Hades prompted, the slightest hint of excitement in his voice.

"So if I learn to trust and be more open, I can be happy," I said, but it came out more like a mouse asking a question.

Hades clapped his hands together. "Nicely done, River. And I am glad you survived. I would hate for you to die. You really _are_ my favorite child of Ares. Now, go—I'm sure Chiron wants you to go back to camp."

I smiled. "Thank you, my lord."

I hugged Nico, leaving the land of the dead.

* * *

**Oh! I just checked my reviews, **JustPlainOldMe** has reviewed! Yay! Whoo Hoo! XD Thanks for the review, it made me smile! Extra cookie for you! (::)**


	17. NOTICE

**Okay, so I had hoped that I wouldn't do this, but I have too—Sorry if you thought this was a chapter.**

**So, I have decided to make the next chapter an epilogue for a few weeks after she and Nico returned. **

**So my question is:**

**Who are her friends? **

**Who are her enemies? **

**What is her 'talent' (Ex. Fastest girl on the rock wall)**

**Should she have a boyfriend?**

**Who should that boyfriend be?**

**How do they meet?**

**Okay, so that's what I need to know by next Friday—Saturday afternoon at the latest, so I can be sure it is upload by Sunday.**

**Thanks! :DD**


	18. Chapter 18

**So, here *sniffle* is the end *starts to cry a little*. I'm having a hard time letting go over River. But I will make her last few days very happy for her. And just because I love her so much, I might include her in another fanfic I do—you never know ; D**

**And I just found out that on here, I can see the names of the people who favorite and follows my stories—I had no idea, lol.**

**So, Shout-outs! Thank you the people who have favorite my story: **Rafanan, XOXO- AMOR ET ODIUM- XOXO, I heart sea spawn, **and **sweetiepie3311**!**

**Thank you to the people who have followed my story: **Rafanan, The Faerie, XOXO- AMOR ET ODIUM- XOXO, angel38380. Chocokat01, cupckaequeen22, I heart sea spawn, writer2be14, **and** JustPlainOldMe

**Thank you, 1,088 people who have viewed my story—I love you all so much!**

**And an even more special shout-out to writer2 be14 and JustPlainOldMe—you two were like my main reviewers and made me love River more than I thought possible! **

**Cookies for you all! (::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)**

You would think that after coming back to camp from a quest, you would get some sympathy and understanding; they might let you take a break, not do any activities, they would let you rest. Well I am here to assure you that you are dead wrong.

Where do I begin? Well, Nico and I went to tell Chiron we were back.

"Well," he mused. "Hades is proud of you and you are safe, so no harm done—but I will not allow this to happen again—understand?"

"Yes," we said in unison, walking back to cabin thirteen.

"Well," I said, sprawled over the bed next to Nico's. "What now?"

He shrugged. "I dunno…"

I sighed, bored. _I was just on a quest and now I'm bored—that's just great, River. Be lazy all day…_But then I had an idea.

"I'll see you later, Nico. I have to go talk to someone."

"Okay," He said, getting out his small pack of Myth-o-magic cards.

I walked back to my cabin, ready to face my sister. "Hey… Clarisse?" I asked, leaning on her bed.

"Yeah?" She snapped, slightly annoyed.

"Um…" _Just do it…_ "I'm sorry."

She looked me in the eye, curious. "What?"

"I said I was sorry—I don't want us to fight anymore."

After a few moments of analyzing me, she smiled softly. "Yeah. You know, you kind of remind me of someone. Her name was Selina. She was a daughter of Aphrodite. Besides the fact that she was prettier than you, you are a lot alike—sweet and brave. I like that."

I blushed a little. "Thanks. Later."

As I was about to leave, the entire cabin was flooded with water. I tried to reach the top, so I could breathe, but there was too much water. I couldn't even see my sister. I held my breath for what seemed like an eternity, frantically trying to make myself less buoyant so I could reach the door, but thank gods, Percy came. He took control of the water and put it back into the sea.

"Are you okay?" He asked frantically, trying to find me a blanket to cover up in.

"F-fine," I coughed. "What was that?"

Clarisse grumbled behind me. "I can take a guess." She shot a death glare at Travis and Connor Stoll, not too far away, grinning like idiots.

"Hey, we have no control over rivers!" Travis laughed at his own pun.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

~O.o.O~

"Okay," Nick said, dragging the word out for a few seconds. "The soccer teams are: Travis, Percy, Jack, Drew, Leo, Jason—red team. River, Lacy, Malcolm, Connor, Kayla, and me—blue team."

We separated into our teams, getting ready. I was happy I had the people on my team. Lacy may be a daughter of Aphrodite, but she's totally fit and athletic. Malcolm is smart, being a son of Athena. Connor and Kayla were average players, but they were nice, so I didn't have a problem with them. And Nick? Well, Nick was a special case. See, I've seen him around camp since the day I came, but we never hung out, because he's kind of shy and because I think if I were to form a complete sentence around him, it would be amazing.

Why? Because he has these beautiful hazel eyes, medium sandy brown hair—not too long, but not too short, had a sort of swimmers build, not a body builder, but still strong, and— oh my gods, I'm starting to ramble. But hey, don't I have a right to ramble about my crush?

Anyway, we played for an hour or two, before the other team beat us by one point. It was a close victory and Nick promised us we would win next time.

Just as I was about to leave, Percy whispered in my ear, "Now's a good time to talk to Nick."

I looked at him like he was crazy. I mean, Hello? He can pick up on my crush, but it took him years to get together with Annabeth?

Riiight…

But I took the advise anyway.

"Hey, Nick. You did really good," I said. "Sucks that the other team won though."

He gave me a half-smile and shrugged. "To be honest, I think we did a good job. Maybe we need to practice a bit more, but no problem."

I nodded. "Yeah. Hey, can you teach me how to do that cool kick-the-ball-over-your-head trick?"

He laughed. "Sure. You do it like this—" he demonstrated the trick a few times, then let me try.

**~ Major time skip~**

I was running around camp, like my head was cut off. I rushed to fit all my stuff into my bag, ready to go home. When I finally got my things in my backpack, I went to go say bye to Percy and Annabeth.

"I'll miss you both—see you next year!" I said, hugging each of them.

"Yeah," Annabeth said. "Can't wait to see your report card."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, _mother._" But it was kind of true. Other the months, Annabeth had been my best friend and acted a bit like a mother to me. Percy was obviously my "father".

I left to go say bye to Nico. I knocked on his door. "Nico?"

No answer. I walked in saw that he wasn't there. Huh. _I guess his dad needed him or something,_ I thought.

I was about to walk to the van, when Nick surprised me with a hug from behind. "Didn't think you'd leave without saying good-bye, did you?"

I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, Nick—the van's about to leave."

He turned me around. "Okay, well I'm going to see my dad, too, so we'll walk together."

"Okay," I said. I thought about telling Nick how I felt, but chickened out.

"What school are you going to?" He asked.

"Urban Assembly for Performing Arts," I said, slightly shy. What if he thought it was stupid? "You?"

If Nick thought that was stupid, he didn't show it. "Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School."

Then I realized something. "That's close to my school… kinda. Do you live near me?"

Nick thought for a moment. "Um… I think so… Does that matter?"

I blushed, understanding that I must have been creeping him out. "No… Just curious…"

He nudged me. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure," I said, stopping, because we were only feet away from the van.

He smirked. "I think I love you."

I smiled a smile that was so wide, it would put the Joker to shame. I began to laugh from relief. "I think the feeling is mutual."

And that, was when I had my first kiss.

In the van, Nick and I joked and had a good time, then I had to get off and go home. When I opened the door, the smell of alcohol and liquor was absent. Gone. I smiled—that was a nice welcome home gift in itself.

"I'm home, Mom!" I called, walking in.

"I'm in the kitchen," she called back. I walked to the kitchen and there she was. When she saw me, her eyes widened. "Oh, baby! You've grown! Just look at you! So beautiful. There is a gift for you in your room, on your bed—a welcome home gift, but before I let you go—" she turned around and gave me a package of cookies. "here."

I smiled and took them. "Thanks, Mom. See you later."

I walked to my room, wondering what my gift was, how long my mother would be this happy, when I would see Kristy—everything.

In my room, oh yes. It was a gift and it was a surprise.

"Nico?" I gasped. "What?"

He smirked. "Hey, sis. It took you long enough to come home."

I crossed my arms. "Well, in my defense, little brother, not all of us can shadow travel."

We laughed, and for once, I was able to say this summer—the best one.

The happiest one.

So that's my story. I'm not sure how long Nick and I will be together. I don't know how long Mom will be okay. But what I do know is this: I am happy at the moment.

And that is defiantly good enough for me.


End file.
